Our Mission & History

Mission

To advocate for the establishment of drug courts adhering to the “Ten Key Components” (as recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice and the National Association of Drug Court Professionals) and the creation of other treatment oriented, problem-solving courts based on the Ten Key Components; further, to provide resources and services, including education, to sustain and promote drug and other problem-solving courts while preserving the sovereignty of each county’s discretion.

History

In April 1997, Philadelphia began operation of the first adult drug court in the Commonwealth which, at that time, was one of only two-hundred (200) or so drug courts in operation in the country. Later that year, similar programs began operations in Chester, Lycoming and York Counties. Since that time, the number of adult drug courts in Pennsylvania has expanded to thirty-one (31), and the drug court model has been adapted to establish thirteen (13) DUI courts, nine (9) juvenile drug courts, family (3) family drug courts, sixteen (16) mental health courts, eight (8) veteran courts and fifteen (15) other problem solving courts. The Commonwealth currently has eighteen (18) more judicial districts expressing an interest in establishing an adult drug court, fourteen (14) districts a veteran’s court, five (5) a mental health court and two (2) districts a DUI court.